2025 in review for Sherwood Sun news
Come take a look behind the scenes at your new local newspaper — and see our top 5 stories of the year
We’ve made it to the holidays, Sherwoodians! Thanks for coming along with us this year.
In 2025, we established a brand new hyperlocal newspaper. In 2026, we’ll grow.
Here’s our year in review for the Sherwood Sun, including how we did, what went on behind the scenes, and our top five stories of 2025.
The first edition of the Sherwood Sun was published on Thursday, October 2.
Since then, we’ve successfully published a total of 11 hyperlocal newsletters and 35 articles — all based completely out of Sherwood, Oregon.
We've created and distributed 136 social media posts to nearly 290 followers on Facebook and Instagram. Last month, we reached more than 66,000 Meta users.
We've generated 3,592 unique user visits and 7,041 total views online at sherwoodsun.org — that's over 35% of Sherwood's 20,000 population!
We distributed our print newsletter flyers at Pirates of Pinehurst, Mosaic Arts Loft, Cooper Mountain Ale Works, the Sherwood Public Library, BearKat Brewing, and more.
We joined the Local Independent Online News publishers association (LION) to help keep news independent.
A huge thanks to all of our readers for making this newspaper possible! We truly appreciate your readership.
Why we started
We launched The Sun to fill the void of local newspapers in Oregon due to cuts in the journalism industry. We want to bring some of that back.
The Sun was founded on the idea that the Sherwood area deserves a local, independent, non-political media outlet to connect with their community and strengthen the bonds that solidify a happy, healthy town.
The Sun aims to produce high-quality, objective local journalism that informs the public on local business, government, education, and community events to help connect Sherwood's citizens to news that matters. We aim to hold public policy-makers, business leaders, and citizens accountable as much as telling the stories of the people, places, and organizations that make this area a great place to live.
Behind the scenes
If you pull back the curtain, I’m just one neighbor and journalist — Jules Rogers, former editor of the Portland Tribune, Your Oregon News, and the Business Tribune. I also operate a freelance journalism company that allows me to contribute to outlets like Business Insider, U.S. News & World Report, and other local Oregon newspapers like Newsberg and Tigard Life.
I launched the Sherwood Sun on the backbone of my freelance work, which allows me to afford to stay in business right here at home.
That’s why we’re so grateful to our community sponsors and advertisers like Sherwood Bookstore, Premiere Property Group real estate, and The Sherwood Heritage Center.
All advertising and sponsorship dollars generated here go directly back into The Sun, maintaining our site hosting, website URL, organization platforms, email hosting, other software, and printing costs.
I haven’t made enough yet to pay myself for my time reporting, editing, and writing stories — let alone attempting sales and website development by myself — so if you want me to be able to stick around town and keep up The Sun, please feel free to set up a one-time or monthly contribution.
I would love to stay in Sherwood and continue to cover our local city council, school board, business, and events before they happen because I believe in the power of local news and an educated democracy.
Let us know that you care, too — by reading along with us, subscribing to our newsletter, and sharing with friends!
Yours truly,
— Jules Rogers, founder, owner, editor, neighbor
Top 5 Sherwood Sun stories of 2025
- Soon, Murdock Park could see a new pedestrian bridge, pond overlook, and playground — originally installed in 2014 and now 11 years old.
Jules Rogers
- The Sherwood City Council talked with Washington County Commissioner Jason Snider about what local government can do about the increased activity from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in the area.
Jules Rogers
- Everybody loves eating more chicken — and now there's a new drive-thru and walk-up takeout option right here in town.
Jules Rogers
- A local memorial tree farm property could see a new owner soon — but some neighbors are against it.
Jules Rogers
- Sherwood needs to analyze how to add 2,427 housing units over next 20 years, according to the city.
Jules Rogers
